1. Field of the Invention
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are directed to a digital exposure method and a digital exposure device for performing the method. More particularly, exemplary embodiments of the present invention are directed to an exposure method, which is capable of simplifying a manufacturing process, and a digital exposure device for performing the method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, in a process of manufacturing a printed circuit board (“PCB”), a semiconductor wafer, a substrate of a liquid crystal display (“LCD”) panel, etc., a complex circuit pattern is formed on an upper surface of a base substrate such as an insulation substrate or a glass substrate. In order to form the circuit pattern, photolithography methods have been widely used.
According to a photolithography method, a photoresist film is formed on a base substrate, and then the photoresist film is exposed by using a photo mask in which a transfer pattern corresponding to the circuit pattern is formed. Thus, the photo mask is very precisely manufactured, and expensive. Hence, an improved process for reducing the number of the photo masks or a method of exposing the photoresist film without using the photo mask has been researched. In particular, as the size of a substrate of an LCD panel becomes larger, manufacturing and maintenance costs for the photo mask also increase.
A digital exposure method is an example of exposure methods that does not require a photo mask. In this method, an on/off signal controls an exposure beam in correspondence with each pixel of a digital transfer pattern.
However, a digital exposure method involves increased investments for equipment and processing time, since it includes at least a main exposure for forming a pattern of each device, a titler exposure for patterning a cell ID, and an edge exposure for exposing a peripheral region, which are each performed using individual exposure devices.